Rudder and propeller gear drive for motor boats



Aug. 16, 1932. H. w. RICE 1,871,551

RUDDER AND PROPELLER GEAR DRIVE FOR MOTOR BOATS Filed May 28, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR M 15( 727 m'ce ATTOR N EY Aug. 16, 1932.

H. W. RICE RUDDER AND PROPELLER GEAR DRIVE FOR MOTOR BOATS Filed May 28, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORN EY Patented Aug. 16, 1932 HENRY W. RICE, OF EAST BOOTHBAY, MAINE RUDDER AND PROPELLER GEAR DRIVE FOR MOTOR BOATS Application filed May 28, 1930. Serial No. 456,768.

My invention relates to a combinati'on'rudder and propeller gear drive for boats, more particularly to a rudder and propeller gear drive for use on motor boats, and it consists in the constructions,combinations and arrangements herein shown and described.

An object of my invention is to provide a combination rudder and propeller gear drive which accomplishes the steering operas Well as the rudder.

A further object of my invention is to provide a device of the type described which provides forefiicient operation of the propeller in all the operative positions in which 10 ation by means of deflection of the propeller the same is placed during the various steering operations. 7

A further object of my invention is to provide a combination rudder and propeller gear drive in which those parts which might come into contact with the water are suitably encasedor housed to protect the same from said contact.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a device of the type described which'is readily adjustable to the needs of individual operators;

-A still further object of my invention is to provide a device of the type described so Whichis readily applicable to boats of conventional construction in use today.

v A yet-further object of my invention is to provide a device of the type described which is simple to manufactur has few parts, and does not get out of order easily.

' Other objects and advantages will appear as the specification proceeds'and the invention will be more particularly defined in the appended claim. I a My device is illustrated in the accompanying drawingsforming a part of this application, in-which: s

Figure 1 isa sectional View through a boat,

-- showingmy device inside elevation set up for operation;

Figure 2 isasectional view through a boat; showing an end elevation of my device set up for operation;

Figure 3 is an elevational sectional view through my device, with parts thereof shown in elevation for the sake of clearness of illustration; r I

V Figure 4 is a sectio of Figure 1; V

Figure 5 isafurther sectional view on line 5-5 of Figure 1. s e

In carrying out my invention I make use of an ordinary boat 1. having therein an engine (not shown) or other suitable source of power for connection with the drive shaft indicated at 2. e V In adapting the boat and associated motor or other power means which is in operative engagement with the shaft 2 to my invention, I cut away in the base or bottom of said boat an aperture 3 which receives therethrough portions of my device. I v

. For securing the elements of my device in position relative to said aperture 3 and consequently the boat 1, as well as for mounting the various parts ofthe construction, I provide a housing or casing member 4 having thereon a reduced portion 5 for projection through the aperture 3 for tight fixed relation to thebase of the boat. 1

This casing 4 comprises an upper and lower section, generally designated by the numerals 6 and 7,1respectively. This upper section or 7 portion may comprise the walls 8 and 9'integrally formed with the lower portion 7, the wall 10 removably secured to the wall 9 and al view, on line 4.4

the cover plate ll'which'forms the top of the 1 casing. As appears. most clearly froman examination of Figure3, the wall 10 is'se cured to the wall 9'by means of fasteners '12 or any other suitable means while the cover plate 11 is secured to the wall 8 and the wall 10 by means of the screws 13 which may be replaced by any other conventional fasteners.

The wall 8 and the wall 10 are provided with roller bearings 15 or any other suitable form of bearings for the'reception therein of a shaft 16 which may be an integral portion of shaft 2 or which may be coupled to said shaft by the coupling means shown'at 17. The wall 6 is suitably bossed inwardly, as shown at 18, for mounting this bearing Hand for receiving the end 19 of the shaft 16 while the wall lOris apertured, as indicated at 20, for the passage of the shaft 16 therethrough.

This wall is further provided with a gland packing, indicated at 21, which prevents entry of foreign material into the casing and.

. ate shaft projects. A portion of this wall 9 about the aperture 22 is suitably bossed to mount a bearing 24, which is provided for a purpose that will soon appear. 7

This intermediate shaft 23 is adapted to be driven from the shaft 16 which is actuated by the drive shaft of the motor or other suitable power means by means of miter or bevel gearin interconnecting the same and comprising the bevel gear 25 integrally connecting to the shaft 16 andthe bevel gear 26 integrally connected to the shaft 23;

The lower portion 7 of the casing 4 is provided with a vertically extending bore 27 which extends through the reduced portion of said part 7 and through a bossed part 28 projecting inwardly from the lower wall of said part 7. It is in this bore that the rotatably mounted propeller and steering means supporting casing 29 is 'journaled. The cup shaped bearing at the upper extremity of the part 7 in the wall 9 alsoprovides a suitable bearing for journaling the end 31 of this casing member. A sleeve packing 32 positioned for cooperation with the boss member 28 prevents seepage of water from, below the boat between the walls of the members 29 and 28 and into the part 7. I As will appear most clearly from an examination of Figure 3, this propeller and steering means of the member 28 rotatably mounts therein the intermediate shaft- 23 providing,

at its lower extremity a roller bearing 33"for cooperation with shaft 23 for this purpose.

The intermediate shaft 23 projects into a gear chamber 34 at the lower extremityof the member 29 which gear chamber may be of'any.

suitable construction but is. shown as, consisting ;of'a body formed substantially in the shape of an ovoid. v Inthe tips of this ovoid shaped member bosses 35 and 36 are provided which are adapted to mount roller-bearings 37 and 38 respectively forrotatablysecuring in said bosses for projection from one endof said ovoid-shaped member the propeller shaft 39, on which the propeller 40 is secured by the nut 41 or any suitable fasteners. r

A cap member 42 engages about a projection on the boss 36 to secure the ovoid-shaped member 34 against leakage at this point as well as to permit an operator to have access to the end of the shaft 39 for releasing the same when desired. The opposite end of the ovoidshaped body is provided with a gland packing 43 which is adapted to prevent seepage of water into the ovoid-shaped body. A cover plate 44 completes the enclosure forming the ovoid-shaped chamber. It is by these members that seepage of water into the gear chamber 34 and passage of lubricant therefrom into the water is prevented.

For steering the boat I equip the casing member 29 with a rudder 45 which as shown most clearly in Figures 3 and 5 may consist of a flat plate of any desired form integrally constructed with the vertically extending portion 29 and integrally connected to the ovoid-shaped member forming the chamber 34 or demountably connected thereto as desaid casing 29. The hand lever 47 ofthis tiller projects through the windowor aperture 50 in the portion 7 of the casing 4. The

portion 7 may be providedwith a window or aperture 51 on the opposite side for permitting positioning of the tiller member for engagement from said side at the will of the operator. v y V From the foregoing description, the use and operation of my device is easily under stood. The apparatus is set up as heretofore described with the shaft 2 connected to the drive shaft of the motor or other suitable source of power. This shaft drives shaft'ld which as can be easily understood froman examination of the shafts and gearing of Figure 3, actuates the propeller member .40.

. When theoperator desires to steer theboat on a new course, he simply rotates the ver-- tically; extending casing member 29 by means of the tiller 47 to change the an gle' of inclination of the rudder 45 to the boat 1.

This movement of the member 29"andassociated rudder and gear: casing, of. course positions the propulsion means at the same angle as is taken by the rudder 45 to aid inthe steering operation. It can also be easily understood that because of the gear connection between shafts 39 and 23 the rotation of the propulsion means. 40 will notrbe affected in any way except by a slight variation in the speed of rotation thereof during the turning movement.

It is thus easily seen a combination propulsion and rudder gear drive formotor boats which enables an operator to variably position saidrudder and said propulsion means for steering the boat without material decrease in the efficiency of the operation of said propulsion means.

1 It will also be further seenthat I provide a device of the type described which is well th t have prov d adapted to the retaining of a lubricant throughout all of its positions of operation and for preventing the seepage of water into the working parts thereof which are desirable features in constructions of this nature.

It is further seen that the working parts of my device are readily accessible to mechanics or operators who wish to work on the same.

As can be readily understood the tiller permits an easy adjustment to suit the individual needs of an operator.

I claim:

A propulsion and steering means for boats comprising a stationarily positioned casing having apertures upon opposite sides thereof, a vertically positioned casing rotatably mounted in the stationarily positioned casing, a propulsion means mounted in said vertically positioned casing and adapted for actuation from a suitable source of power, a steering vane positioned on said vertically positioned casing, a tiller mounted on said rotatable casing including a clamp mem- 'ber adapted to partly encircle said rotatable casing, a separate clamp cooperable with said first named clamp member and said casing, whereby said tiller may be detached and projected through a desired aperture in said stationary casing.

HENRY W. RICE. 

